Hands-on outing connects kids from virtual school

Capistrano Connections Academy students took a field trip Oct. 15 to Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center. James Bender (center) picks pumpkins with his sons, academy students Ethan (left) and Andrew Bender, during the outing.
— Capistrano Connections Academy

Capistrano Connections Academy students took a field trip Oct. 15 to Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center. James Bender (center) picks pumpkins with his sons, academy students Ethan (left) and Andrew Bender, during the outing.
/ Capistrano Connections Academy

VALLEY CENTER  Educational field trips aren’t just for students attending traditional schools.

On Oct. 15, Bates Nut Farm hosted more than 25 students, ranging from kindergartners to fifth-graders, from Capistrano Connections Academy, a K-12 virtual public school. Students on the field trip included residents of San Marcos and Oceanside.

Academy educators arranged the field trip so that students could explore farm life while socializing and learning with their peers.

“Field trips afford our students an opportunity to foster friendships and apply information they learn through our curriculum — in this case, all about how living things grow,” said David Paski, a Capistrano Connections teacher. “The students enjoyed a festive pumpkin patch with their peers and were excited to learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin, from seed to pie.”

Students learned about how to grow and care for pumpkins, the fruit’s nutritional value, and that the pumpkin’s “cousins” include squashes and melons. The children also had time to explore the farm’s straw maze and take a hay ride.

Capistrano Connections Academy serves students in grades K-12 in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. The school organizes field trips like the visit to Bates Nut Farm so that students, who attend classes online, can socialize during curriculum-related activities.